What’s a brand promise?

A brand promise is, in fact, a promise. It’s the promise that you make to your customers or clients. And it isn’t just some arcane b-school marketing jargon.

Let’s dig a little deeper. Your brand promise is the benefit that people will derive from choosing you -- something that really matters to them.

Who needs a brand promise?

Everyone. From the solo entrepreneur to the small business to the thriving university. Everyone who is offering a product or service in return for anyone else's hard-earned money needs a brand promise.

Why create a brand promise?

Your brand promise serves as a keystone, locking together every aspect of your branding and business operations.

It’s an internal rallying cry (even if you’re a team of one), keeping you grounded in your purpose. It’s an external promise, helping your customers understand what they’ll get out of your business.

And it helps you and your customers understand what differentiates you from your competitors.

Everything you do -- your business development, new product or service development, marketing, PR, everything, is guided by and measured against your brand promise. If your promise doesn’t fit what you’re doing, you either need to change what you’re doing or what you’ve promised.

What do you do with a brand promise?

Your brand promise is the lifeblood that flows through every single thing you do as a business.

It’s in every interaction every person at your company has with every client. But, what’s more, it’s in every interaction anyone has with your brand. Every little bit of your marketing, product, sales, PR, management, and employment practices, are guided by your brand promise.

Kate Spade CMO Mary Beech explains that her brand promise is “all about empowering women and it's something that comes out in our campaigns.” That last part is important: “it’s something that comes out in our campaigns.”

Your brand promise is not just something you say. It’s something you do. Consistently.

Your brand promise must do these five things.

Your brand promise must:

convey a compelling benefit

be authentic and credible

be kept in every connection customers have with your business

be succinct and simple

be memorable, meaningful, and measurable

Your brand promise is what makes you matter

How do you know what to talk about in your marketing? How do you know what to say to prospective clients? Where do you start? There's so much that goes into what you do and why it's amazing.

Well, people want to know about you and what you do. But mostly, they want to know what's in it for them. And that's...you guessed it...what you promise them.

To make sure that you're putting out a consistent, compelling message -- on your website and your social media, on phone calls and in meetings, and even in any print pieces -- your brand promise is a pretty powerful place to start.

what's your brand promise?

If your brand promise isn't written beautifully yet, or if you're not even sure what it is, it's time for some help. That's one of many reasons that the brand promise is an essential part of our marketing Master Plan process.

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